Five uplifting movies guaranteed to restore your faith in humanity
We often turn to the silver screen during dark times, hoping to leave the cinema with a renewed lust for life and passion for living.
When our waking lives become devoid of optimism, the stories around us can imbue us with optimism and faith, keeping us going when life loses the magic we see on screen.
There are certain genres that revolve around this very idea, with hope-core evolving into a beast of its own as we see tales of unlikely Olympic athletes or artists with the odds stacked against them on their climb to success.
Whether it be Eddie the Eagle or The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, we have always relied on these types of stories when the world feels bleak and uninspiring, adding a spring to our step as we realise that the impossible is achievable and there will always be another perspective with which to view the world.
But while there are many to choose from, here are five uplifting films that will restore your faith in humanity.
Five movies that restore your faith in humanity:
The Big Chill (Lawrence Kasdan, 1983)
The Big Chill is one of those gorgeous ‘80s gems that instantly puts a smile on your face, with a killer soundtrack and lived-in chemistry between the cast that makes for an incredibly uplifting watch.
Despite taking place at a funeral, the darkness of the story only adds to the light, with a group of college friends reuniting for one weekend and finding solace in their shared memories and nostalgia. While not an awful lot happens, the joy of this story comes from how endearing it is to watch old friends being comfortable and silly around each other, escaping the difficulties of real life and briefly indulging in the simplicity of how things used to be.
<em>Marcel the Shell with Shoes On</em> (Dean Fleischer Camp, 2021)
For anyone who has recently fallen on hard times, nothing will ever be worse than having your entire family stolen from your shell colony in a suitcase.
Yet for Marcel, the adorable subject in Dean Fleischer Camp’s mockumentary, there is no battle too big to overcome, reminding us of the strength we can find within ourselves even in the darkest moments.
The story follows a shell called Marcel who lives alone with his grandmother Connie in an old Air BNB, struggling to take risks and truly enjoy life after a recent tragedy that rocked their small world. But Marcel teaches us that setbacks and tragedies are a natural part of life, and while we can be knocked down by them, it is important to keep seeking joy in our everyday rituals and routines, and piece ourselves back together again.
<em>Le Havre</em> (Aki Kaurismäki, 2011)
There is perhaps no filmmaker working today with as much hope as Kaurismäki, creating characters who rebel against the systems that oppress us through creating community and sharing kindness with those around them.
This is most evident in his 2011 film Le Havre, following a shoe-shiner who crosses paths with a young refugee, rallying with his neighbours to help protect him and prevent the authorities from deporting him.
It’s a simplistic story that is very reflective of Kaurismäki’s stripped-back and naturalist style, bringing people together and highlighting the power of compassion through the collective efforts of this small town to protect a stranger. While some directors like to revel in darkness, Kaurismäki creates a magical fairy tale about the transcendent power of kindness and how strength can be found in numbers.
<em>A Tale of Winter</em> (Éric Rohmer, 1992)
Éric Rohmer was a generally cynical filmmaker, often creating stories that revolved around inherently selfish characters and their futile pursuit of intimacy. However, Rohmer briefly let go of his penchant for cynicism in his 1992 film A Tale of Winter, creating a soaringly romantic and overwhelmingly joyful story about being reunited with ‘the one that got away’.
Many of us know from experience that these types of fleeting connections rarely last for very long, with old flames staying firmly in the past despite our incessant yearning for them. But Rohmer indulges in the fantasy of what it would be like to reconnect with ‘the one that got away’, creating a delightful tale about soulmates, the perseverance of hope and the love that fills our lives regardless.
<em>Perfect Days</em> (Wim Wenders, 2023)
While some might think of Wenders as a fairly hopeful filmmaker, his 2023 film tipped the scales in the sheer level of joy that seeped through each frame.
There are many old fables and fairytales about the true meaning of happiness, but Wenders adds new weight to this discussion through his portrait of a toilet cleaner in Japan who finds beauty in the most unexpected elements that make up his life.
It is a truly romantic film in the way it relishes in the simple pleasures around us, whether it be the way dappled sunlight looks through the trees or reading a book on a Sunday morning. While the main character has few interactions with the people around him, his life is full through the care he takes over his life and all the small moments; folding corners in his toilet paper, blowing bubbles through his nose in the bath and crying at the perfect timing of a song with the sunrise as he drives to work.
